EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room’s May/June 2026 Stakeholder Scorecard reveals a significant transition in Nigeria’s electoral environment as preparations for the 2027 General Elections moved beyond legislative reforms and institutional “positioning” towards practical implementation. During the period under review, the conduct of the Ekiti State Governorship Election, escalating insecurity across parts of the country, growing political realignments and renewed debates on state policing collectively provided important indicators of the preparedness of key electoral stakeholders.
The Situation Room Electoral Accountability Tracker (SEAT) assessed the performance of key stakeholders against Situation Room’s Credibility Threshold for the 2027 General Elections which was launched exactly one year ago. The findings from this Scorecard present a mixed picture; while notable progress has been recorded in aspects of election administration and electoral preparedness, several longstanding structural weaknesses continue to threaten the credibility of future elections.
Among the 5 key stakeholders assessed (National Assembly, INEC, Political Parties, Security Agencies and the Judiciary), INEC demonstrated the most visible progress during the review period. The Commission continued the implementation of nationwide Continuous Voter Registration, intensified preparations for the 2027 General Elections and successfully conducted the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. Observations from the election indicate improvements in logistics management, deployment of election personnel and the upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, concerns regarding public confidence, institutional independence and INEC’s data security remain unresolved.
In contrast, political parties recorded the weakest performance. Numerous disputes arising from party primaries, increasing defections, leadership crises and litigation over candidate nominations suggest that many political parties remain more focused on elite negotiations and electoral competitiveness than on strengthening internal democracy. The growing frequency of party-switching and legal battles over nominations raises concerns regarding party institutionalisation and voter confidence ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
The Scorecard also reveals that insecurity remains one of the most significant threats to electoral credibility in Nigeria. Although security agencies generally maintained a peaceful environment during the Ekiti Governorship Election, developments across the country paint a more troubling picture. Reports of kidnappings, terrorist activities, attacks on communities and growing concerns regarding emerging security threats continued throughout the period. These developments have reinforced concerns that insecurity is no longer merely a governance challenge but has become a direct electoral risk capable of affecting voter participation, political mobilisation, election administration and public confidence in democratic processes. In response to this, the recent Legislative and Executive push for state policing reflects growing recognition that Nigeria’s existing security architecture may be inadequate to address emerging threats.
The National Assembly and the Judiciary remained important actors in May/June 2026. Legislative activity around state policing and security sector reform demonstrated responsiveness to growing security concerns, while the courts increasingly became arenas for resolving disputes arising from party primaries, candidate nominations and electoral administration. Nevertheless, significant reform gaps remain, especially the absence of an Electoral Offences Commission and unresolved concerns relating to electoral accountability.
The May/June SEAT Stakeholder Scorecard further highlights concern regarding citizen participation in the democratic process from reports of Situation Room observation of the Ekiti 2026 Governorship election. Although the election recorded a PVC collection rate exceeding 97 per cent, actual voter turnout remained significantly lower, reinforcing concerns about declining voter confidence and increasing political disengagement. The persistence of vote buying, voter inducement and electoral corruption during the election also demonstrates that some of the most serious threats to electoral integrity remain unresolved despite repeated reform efforts.
Overall, the findings suggest that Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 General Elections are advancing operationally faster than they are institutionally. While election administration systems appear to be improving and electoral stakeholders are increasingly active in preparation for future elections, progress in electoral accountability, political party reform, public security and trust remains uneven. As preparations intensify in the months ahead, stakeholders must move beyond procedural readiness and demonstrate stronger commitment to the substantive reforms necessary for credible, inclusive and trusted elections.
ASSESSING STAKEHOLDER PREPAREDNESS AGAINST SITUATION ROOM’S CREDIBILITY THRESHOLD FOR THE 2027 GENERAL ELECTIONS
| Stakeholder | Trend | Indicator for 2027 General Elections | Status / Accountability Score | Insight on Performance |
| INEC | ↑ Improving (but externally pressured) | Did INEC resume Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) early enough? | Moderate Compliance (3/5) | INEC continued phased nationwide Continuous Voter Registration and commenced the final phase of registration in May 2026 ahead of the 2027 General Elections. During the review period, the Commission intensified preparations for the Ekiti Governorship Election through readiness assessments, distribution of the voters’ register to political parties and engagement with election stakeholders.
The conduct of the Ekiti State election which was marked by relatively timely deployment of election materials and improved upload of polling unit results to the IReV portal indicate growing operational preparedness. However, public concerns regarding institutional independence and electoral data security remain unresolved following the controversy surrounding the unauthorised disclosure of information allegedly obtained from INEC’s voter registration database.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Situation Room is concerned about the welfare of personnel deployed for the elections. In May 2026, INEC announced plans to deploy over 1.4 million ad-hoc staff for upcoming 2027 general elections, largely recruited from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Over the years, concerns about the welfare of election personnel have persisted across Nigeria’s electoral process. Reports from accredited election observers (even in the most recent Ekiti Governorship election 2026) have consistently highlighted issues such as delayed allowances, poor feeding arrangements, inadequate transportation, exhaustion from prolonged deployments and weak logistical support for both security personnel and ad-hoc election workers.
This calls for further scrutiny and review. |
| INEC | ↑ Improving (but externally pressured) | Did INEC establish sufficient registration centres? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | INEC reopened registration centres nationwide and continued both physical and online voter registration exercises. While these efforts expanded access to registration opportunities, concerns remain regarding accessibility in remote communities, overcrowding at some centres and uneven distribution of registration facilities.
Evidence: https://businessday.ng/news/article/inec-resumes-nationwide-continuous-voters-registration/ |
| INEC | ↑ Improving (but externally pressured) | Did INEC provide functional registration/accreditation equipment? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | INEC reported continuation of online and physical registration with operational equipment nationwide. However, no comprehensive public audit confirming nationwide functionality of all registration equipment has been published.
During the Ekiti Governorship Election, BVAS operated successfully in most polling units observed. However, isolated incidents of malfunction, delayed activation and difficulties with voter authentication were recorded, highlighting the need for stronger contingency measures and continuous system improvements.
Evidence: https://telegraph.ng/news/2026/01/06/inec-resumes-nationwide-voter-registration/
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| INEC | ↑ Improving (but externally pressured) | Did INEC conduct a thorough audit of the voter register? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | In April 2026, INEC announced the suspension of its planned nationwide revalidation exercise as part of efforts to update the voter register ahead of the 2027 general election. Although this suggests attempts at voter register auditing, independent verification of the comprehensiveness of the audit remains limited.
https://guardian.ng/news/inec-suspends-voter-revalidation-exercise-amid-timing-other-concerns/ |
| INEC | ↑ Improving (but externally pressured) | Did INEC provide timely communication on incidents and crises? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | INEC has consistently issued public statements and timelines relating to CVR exercises and electoral activities. However, concerns remain from previous election cycles regarding delayed crisis communication and technical explanations.
Evidence:
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| Security Agencies | ↑
Improving |
Did security agencies provide a secure and peaceful environment for elections? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | While the specific number of security personnel deployed in the 2026 Ekiti Governorship election was not publicly disclosed, election security showed improvement in Ekiti State. Nonetheless, there is little evidence that these gains are translating into broader improvements in public security.
In response to the current state of insecurity in Nigeria, security agencies have taken a reactive, rather than proactive posture to emerging security incidents.
The security environment in MAY/JUNE 2026 was characterised by persistent kidnappings, attacks on rural communities and mass casualty incidents across several parts of the country. In MAY 2026, no fewer than 279 persons were kidnapped across Nigeria, with 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.
Although April is not the month in review, numbers from April 2026 shows that the numbers are rising in overwhelming proportion as reports indicated that over 500 people were killed and more than 500 others kidnapped in various attacks nationwide. Human rights organisations also reported that at least 1,100 persons were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and April 2026.
Despite these obvious gaps in Nigeria’s security architecture, the former Chief of Defence Staff and current Minister of Defence, in an interview on 29th May 2026, scored security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 3-year administration 65-70%. In his words, “no nation is totally free from crime.”
Under the period in review, the most brazen of the attacks was the one on 15th May 2026 where armed kidnappers attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele community of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and abducted 39 pupils and 7 teachers. The incident drew national outrage after one of the abducted teachers was brutally murdered by the kidnappers while the others remained in captivity.
This occurrence in the South-West raises concerns about the geographical spread of organised criminal violence and the increasing vulnerability of States previously considered relatively safer.
Particularly troubling in June 2026 is the ongoing violent political clashes in Osun State, signifying a red alert ahead of its upcoming governorship election on August 15th, 2026. Although there had been reports of fierce power struggle between the ruling Accord Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier in the year, the crisis escalated significantly in June 2026 after rival groups clashed over the control of local government councils, leading to several deaths, including the targeted shooting of Accord Party youth leader Ajayi Aderogba in Esa-Oke and a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu.
While the Accord Party accuses the APC of sponsoring these assassinations, the APC denies involvement, claiming the violence stems from internal party rifts or local cult clashes. Since this outrage, there are reports that multiple political thugs have been arrested, street shootouts have recurred in major towns like Osogbo, and residents have to hide their various political brandings out of fear.
For election security, security agencies demonstrated the capacity to provide a relatively peaceful environment during the Ekiti Governorship Election through early deployment, visible presence and professional conduct in most polling units. However, the broader national security environment remains deeply concerning.
Evidence: https://guardian.ng/news/report-estimates-279-kidnappings-nationwide-in-may/
https://www.amnesty.org.ng/2026/04/11/mass-abductions-northern-nigeria-1100-kidnapped/
https://punchng.com/apc-adelekes-camp-clash-over-osun-teenagers-killing/
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| National Assembly | → Static | Were amendments to the Electoral Act passed ahead of the election? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | The National Assembly passed the 2025 Electoral Act Amendment Bill in February 2026. However, there are still concerns over controversial provisions, especially on (mandatory electronic transmission of election results) and whether the reforms fully addressed credibility concerns from the 2023 elections.
During the review period, discussions around electoral reform continued, including calls by political parties and stakeholders for further amendments ahead of 2027.
|
| National Assembly | → Static | Did the National Assembly intensify oversight of INEC and election-related institutions? | Very Weak Compliance (1/5) | There is limited publicly available evidence of sustained, rigorous oversight hearings specifically focused on 2027 preparedness, beyond routine legislative engagements. Evidence of systematic accountability mechanisms reains weak. |
| National Assembly | → Static | Did the Senate conduct transparent confirmation hearings for electoral appointments? | Very Weak Compliance (1/5) | There were no confirmation hearings for electoral appointments in the period under review. However, while Senate confirmations have historically taken place publicly, there is limited evidence of comprehensive public petition windows, publication of written reasons for decisions, or deep investigative scrutiny into nominees. |
| Presidency / Federal Government | → Static | Was the Electoral Offences Commission established before the 2027 elections? | No Compliance (0/5) | Despite longstanding advocacy and repeated reform recommendations, an Electoral Offences Commission has not been established. This remains one of the most significant gaps in Nigeria’s electoral accountability framework and continues to undermine efforts to deter electoral offences and prosecute offenders.
As of June 2026, the standalone Electoral Offences Commission Bill has been absorbed into the larger Constitution Alteration framework. In the National Assembly’s prioritised batch of 37 constitution review bills compiled in June 2026, Section 3.1 (Electoral Reform) explicitly includes the amendment to “establish an Electoral Offences Commission tasked with investigating and prosecuting electoral offences.”
Therefore, because it is being treated as a constitutional amendment rather than a standard piece of legislation, it must pass through the more rigorous process of a two-thirds majority vote in both federal chambers and approval by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly.
Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTAMLAJtY6Y
https://thesun.ng/senate-to-decide-fate-of-state-police-electoral-offences-commission-others-today/
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| Presidency / Federal Government | → Static | Did the Federal Government release funds to INEC on time? | No Evidence of Compliance (0/5) | Section 3(3) of the 2026 Electoral Act provides that election funds due to the Commission must be released not later than six months before a general election.
Although the government is legally still within the six months timeframe, waiting that long creates massive operational risks for a country as large as Nigeria. This is especially concerning because INEC cannot safely buy new technology or replace old ones until they have cash in hand.
On 25th June 2026, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Malam Mohammed Haruna, confirmed in a meeting that the Commission is yet to receive budgetary allocations for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
With regard to this, several stakeholders have raised alarm over the delays in the release of fund for the 2027 general elections.
On 28th June 2026, political parties warned that the delay in the release of funds to INEC for the 2027 general elections may undermine election preparations and the credibility of the polls.
However, the INEC Chairman dismissed the concerns, stating that it remained financially on track since the law provides for the release to be done not later than six months to the elections. He assured them that preparations for the elections were progressing according to schedule.
Evidence:
https://punchng.com/2027-elections-funding-delay-raises-fears/ |
| Judiciary | → Static | Did the judiciary comply with electoral laws in handling election cases and petitions? | Partial Compliance (2/5) | While courts continue to adjudicate election-related matters, concerns remain over delays, conflicting judgments/court orders and public confidence in electoral adjudication.
While INEC was already dealing with a court ruling that cancelled its shortened 2027 election calendar on May 21st 2026, the month of June brought a wave of conflicting orders from lower courts and rapid counter-orders from higher courts. This back-and-forth has left INEC in an operational limbo. As of June 2026, SEAT has tracked at least six election/party-related court judgments.
The main confusion started mid-June when a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to deregister five political parties, including the ADC, Accord Party, AA, APP and ZLP. The judge ruled that these parties failed to meet the required constitutional standards to remain legally recognized. The affected parties quickly filed appeals, and the Court of Appeal swiftly stepped in to put the deregistration on hold pending the final determination of the suit on July 7th, 2026.
In a separate legal battle, On June 26th, 2026, a Federal High Court delivered a confusing judgment that seemed to cancel out its own previous ruling regarding Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s registration status.
All of these are happening while INEC is still fighting the original May 21st judgment against its election timetable. While INEC has appealed, the INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN warned that if the courts force INEC to use stretched-out timelines while the list of participating parties keeps changing, it will create massive logistical confusion at voting centers across the country.
To stop the court from disrupting the elections entirely, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court took emergency action on June 30th, 2026. He issued a strict new directive that limits judges to a maximum of just two adjournments per pre-election case and ordered courts to work through weekends.
Evidence:
https://guardian.ng/news/court-rulings-threaten-2027-election-timetable-inec-warns/
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| Political Parties | ↓ Declining | Did political parties conduct their affairs in line with electoral laws and party constitutions? | Very Weak Compliance (1/5) | Political parties remained among the weakest-performing stakeholders during the review period. Although activity-driven, political parties continue to lose sight of the need for strong ideologies and internal party democracy; rather, they continue to pander towards elite interest. With the wave of defections across different political parties, politicians are only being recycled, leaving voters with no other option than to choose the lesser of two evils ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Ekiti Governorship Election also highlighted continuing concerns regarding vote buying and voter inducement, common practices linked to political actors. These developments suggest that many political parties remain more focused on elite interests and electoral competitiveness than on strengthening internal democracy and ideological development. |
| Civil Society Organisations | ↑ Improving | Did CSOs conduct election observation and reporting credibly and professionally? | Strong Compliance (4/5) | Civil society organisations continued to play a vital accountability role throughout the review period. Organisations such as Situation Room and its partners conducted election observation, voter education, election preparedness assessments and advocacy on electoral reform, insecurity and democratic governance. The observation of the Ekiti Governorship Election and continued engagement on electoral accountability issues demonstrate sustained commitment to promoting transparency and public confidence in democratic processes. |
| Media | ↑ Improving | Did the media monitor and report on electoral credibility issues? | Strong Compliance (4/5) | Nigerian media organisations continued to provide extensive coverage of electoral reforms, voter registration activities, election administration, party primaries, security concerns and judicial developments. Reporting on the Ekiti Governorship Election, political realignments and governance issues contributed significantly to public awareness and democratic accountability during the review period. |
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MAY/JUNE 2026
- The Senate passed the State Police and Police Trust Fund Bills. This refuelled national debate on decentralised policing as a response to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
- The 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election was conducted in a generally peaceful atmosphere, with improvements recorded in logistics management and result uploads, but concerns persisted regarding vote buying, voter inducement and low voter turnout.
- INEC confirmed that election funds for the 2027 general elections are yet to be released to the Commission.
- The Federal High Court nullified key provisions of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 General Elections prompting an appeal by the Commission.
- Political party primaries across several parties generated widespread disputes, litigation and allegations of irregularities, exposing continuing weaknesses in internal party democracy.
- Defections and political realignments intensified ahead of the 2027 General Elections and politicians across party lines sought alternative platforms following contentious primary elections.
- Security concerns remained prominent nationwide, with continued reports of kidnappings, terrorist activities and attacks on communities, reinforcing fears about the impact of insecurity on democratic participation.
PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR Q3 2026
The findings from the May/June 2026 Stakeholder Performance Scorecard indicate that while preparations for the 2027 General Elections are advancing, significant gaps remain. To address these concerns, Situation Room recommends the following priority actions for the next review period:
- The Federal Government should release the funds for the 2027 general elections to INEC to enable timely and adequate planning.
- The Federal Government should address the growing insecurity across the country, recognising its potential impact on voter participation, election administration and democratic stability.
- INEC should strengthen public confidence by providing more transparent and timely communication on electoral preparations, voter registration activities and issues affecting electoral integrity.
- INEC should address gaps identified during the Ekiti Governorship Election, particularly issues relating to the functionality of the BVAS machines, voter education and accessibility for Persons with Disabilities.
- Security agencies should adopt a more proactive approach to election security by strengthening intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination and early response mechanisms to emerging threats.
- Security agencies should intensify efforts to investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals involved in vote buying, voter inducement and other electoral offences.
- The National Assembly should prioritise outstanding electoral reforms, particularly measures aimed at strengthening electoral accountability and improving the integrity of future elections.
- The Judiciary should ensure the timely and consistent resolution of election-related disputes, particularly pre-election cases arising from party primaries and candidate nominations.
- Political parties should strengthen internal democracy, reduce reliance on litigation and refrain from practices such as vote buying, voter inducement and candidate imposition.
- Civil society organisations and the media should sustain voter education, election observation and public accountability efforts aimed at improving citizen participation and confidence in the democratic process.
CONCLUSION
The May/June SEAT Stakeholder Scorecard 2026 review shows that preparations for the 2027 General Elections are underway, but important challenges remain. While INEC continues to make progress in election preparations and civil society organisations remain actively engaged, concerns about insecurity, vote buying, internal party democracy and declining voter participation continue to cast a shadow over Nigeria’s democratic process.
The Ekiti Governorship Election demonstrated that improvements are possible, particularly in election administration and logistics. However, it also highlighted recurring problems that have yet to be addressed, including voter inducement and low voter turnout.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 General Elections, all stakeholders must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to strengthen public confidence, improve accountability and protect the integrity of the electoral process. The credibility of the 2027 elections will depend not only on how elections are conducted, but also on the actions taken by stakeholders in the months leading up to them.